80. Shocked! Garp Broke The Record!
Out on the vast sea, a small boat sails steadily.
Tom and the crew were worn out from their recent skirmish in the water 7, so they refrained from their usual antics onboard.
Meanwhile, Muscles was down in the storage room beneath the cabin, pestering Merlin to work some magic and summon a set of exercise equipment for him.
But Merlin insisted that he was just a magician; summoning objects out of thin air wasn't in his repertoire.
"That's the realm of true magicians," he stated firmly.
Upon hearing Merlin's response, Muscles grew even more disgruntled, persisting in his demand for exercise gear.
But Merlin stood his ground, reiterating that he was merely an ordinary magician.
Tension filled the air, with neither willing to concede.
As the argument raged on, Nami entered the storage room to gather ingredients for lunch. She observed the scene with a bemused smile, opting not to intervene in their dispute.
As Nami finished gathering the ingredients, a hint of unease flickered across her face.
Suddenly, the ingredients slipped from her grasp, hitting the floor with a thud that caught Muscles and Merlin's attention.
They watched as Nami, with a mechanical motion, turned her head to the side, as if struck by a dreadful realization.
"Ms. Nami," Merlin called out softly, wielding his wand to effortlessly return the fallen ingredients to the basket.
Simultaneously, Merlin gracefully bowed to Nami, his voice soft as he inquired, "May I ask what happened?"
Observing this exchange, Muscles flexed his muscles, his expression hinting at a desire to pummel Merlin like a sandbag. However, he reconsidered, recognizing that now wasn't the appropriate moment for such actions.
Gradually, Muscles relaxed his clenched fist and turned to Nami, inquiring, "Nami, what's wrong?"
Nami pointed silently to the vacant corner, her expression tense.
"The guy who was imprisoned here before, we forgot to release him!" Nami exclaimed, hurrying towards Al's room.
"Captain Al, something's happened! Crocodile and Mr. 2, they've been taken by Aokiji!" Her urgent cries grabbed everyone's focus.
Vivi stood frozen, her mind racing back to the chaos Crocodile had caused in Arabasta. The thought of him returning there filled her with dread. With Crocodile's nature, it could unleash a bloody tempest once again.
However, just as everyone anticipated that Al would swiftly turn the boat around to pursue Aokiji, he instead waved his hand placidly, appearing entirely unperturbed.
Al recollected that Crocodile and Mr. 2 hadn't been aboard since he had set sail initially. Therefore, there was no point in giving chase.
His decision stemmed from the realization that Crocodile and Mr. 2 seemed unfazed by Tom and Spike's interrogation tactics. Furthermore, the intelligence they could extract from them was diminishing with each encounter.
Furthermore, Aokiji was already in close proximity to Enies Lobby at that moment, breaching it specifically for Crocodile and Mr. 2.
Such actions weren't characteristic of someone who's at their peak.
Al reasoned that Crocodile and his companions, confined in seastone handcuffs, couldn't possibly escape from Aokiji's grasp and flee thousands of miles away.
At most, they would be imprisoned in Impel Down or subjected to direct execution by the Marines. As for Vivi's concerns, they need not be entertained.
Upon hearing Al's rationale, everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief and resumed their tasks.
Simultaneously, despite the iron grip of the World Government, news of the incident in the water capital spread like wildfire, erupting into a global sensation!
"Shock! The myth of Buster Call's zero failure shattered as the Al Pirates thwarted it!"
"Unbelievable! Marine Admiral Aokiji engaged in a fierce battle with the Al Pirates, yet failed to overcome them!"
"The latest bounty for all members of the Al Pirates has surpassed 1 billion Baileys!"
"Shock! Marine Vice Admiral Garp breaks record for eating consecutive senbei!"
The news surrounding the water 7 sent shockwaves rippling across the globe!
If it weren't for the undeniable credibility of the reports, people worldwide would surely dismiss it as mere rumor!
Could it truly be that a band of rookies vanquished the legendary Buster Call, capable of leveling an entire island?
Or that these newcomers battled toe-to-toe with a Marine Admiral and even managed to evade capture?
"A group of rookies who've barely been at sea for three months, yet their combined bounty exceeds 1 billion?"
"What in the world is happening?" Such a question echoed in the hearts of everyone who heard the news.
This was Buster Call—a fearsome operation led by a Marine Admiral, supported by five Marine Vice Admirals, and backed by tens of thousands of sailors!
To think that such a formidable force, capable of effortlessly decimating an entire island, was thwarted in this manner? It defied belief.
Even a Marine Admiral couldn't apprehend this band of rookie pirates?
What's even more alarming is that this pirate crew continues to roam the seas. If they were to arrive at any island... it would spell catastrophe.
In the wake of the Water 7 incident, a wave of panic swept over people worldwide.
Meanwhile, on an island resembling a skeletal structure, Kaido of the Beasts—the reputed strongest creature in the world—sat indulging in a massive wine gourd.
As Kaido emptied the gourd in a single gulp, he suddenly seized a colossal mace nearby and smashed everything in his path to smithereens.
"Where's the wine?!" His drunken roar echoed across the skies, sending a wave of terror that rendered everyone on the island incapable of lifting their heads.
"Master Kaido's on a rampage again! Quick, everyone, find somewhere to hide!"
Amidst the panic, islanders scattered in every direction, seeking refuge to avoid potential harm.
Just as Kaido prepared to unleash his Devil Fruit ability and wreak havoc, a portly man with a cigar appeared before him. From his pocket, he produced a stack of bounty posters.
"Master Kaido, here's the latest information on the Al Pirates," he said, "following your previous directives, I obtained their whereabouts promptly."
As the words left the man's lips, Kaido discarded the mace and hurled it directly at a figure with two horns protruding from their head and an iron mask covering their mouth.
Without hesitation, he seized the newspaper from Queen's grasp.
As Kaido examined the images and text in the news, the flush on his face gradually faded.
"What intriguing fellows," he chuckled, "I must capture them!"
Upon hearing Kaido's declaration, Queen couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat.
However, Kaido isn't the only one seeking to capture Al and his crew.
Far away on Whole Cake Island, Charlotte Linlin, another of the Yonko, erupted into thunderous laughter upon reading the latest newspaper.
Meanwhile, in a certain area of the New World, two ships collided with a force that shook the seas.
Above them, a formidable crack split the sky, serving as a dire warning to the world: these two crews were not to be trifled with!
"Hey, boss, take a look at this," said the hefty man, holding a barbecue in one hand and a newspaper in the other. "It's news about those kids we spotted in East Blue."
"What a shocker," remarked the red-haired man as he glanced over the newspaper, depicting the exploits of Al and his crew. "These youngsters actually took down a Buster Call and went head-to-head with Aokiji."
Upon seeing the images of Al and Tom, the red-haired man's face lit up with a hopeful smile. "Well, I'll be," he murmured.
A tall man with fiery red hair standing opposite him erupted into a hearty laugh.
"Gurararara"
"Shanks, do you know this guy?"
Shanks nodded, recalling the image of Hawkeye dueling with the feline in the newspaper, and chuckled.
"Hey, Shanks, what's so funny?"
Shanks wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes but refrained from answering Marco's question, fearing he might burst into laughter once more.
"Whitebeard, I hope you'll consider my proposal and convince Ace to give up..." Shanks began, but before he could finish, Whitebeard raised his massive blade and spoke firmly.
"Little brat, if you still wish to fight..."
Shanks sheathed his saber, no longer desiring to engage in conflict with Whitebeard.
Under the watchful gaze of the Whitebeard Pirates, Shanks placed the newspaper onto the deck, boarded his ship, and departed without uttering a word.
As the laughing ships faded into the distance on the sea, Whitebeard sheathed his weapon, watching them go with a contemplative expression.
Marco retrieved the newspaper from the ground, scanning its contents and displaying a perplexed expression.
[WANTED Tom, 320,000,000 Berries!]
[WANTED Spike, 300,000,000 Berries]
[WANTED Muscles, 200,000,000 Berries]
[WANTED Merlin, 190,000,000 Berries]
[WANTED Nico Robin, 120,000,000 Berries]
[WANTED Nami, 66,000,000 Berries]
[WANTED Carina, 80,000,000 Berries]
[WANTED Vivi, 50,000,000 Berries]
[WANTED Al, 100 Berries]
Indeed, apart from Captain Al, the bounties of the rest of the crew have undergone a significant change.
Observing Al's bounty of 100 Baileys, one couldn't help but wonder.
"Isn't he the captain? Why hasn't his bounty changed?"
Snorting disdainfully, Whitebeard remarked, "The Marines are still the same, unwilling to admit their mistakes."
"But, never mind, these newcomers truly stirred up quite the fuss, leaving the Marines red-faced, Gurararara," Whitebeard chuckled.
Witnessing the chaos caused by Al and his crew, Whitebeard's mood notably lifted.
Just as Whitebeard was preparing to throw a celebratory party, he noticed a small boat rowing not far away.
A crew member of the Whitebeard Pirates hastily boarded the boat and rushed to Whitebeard, his expression filled with urgency.
"Bad news, Dad... Ace... Ace has been captured by the Marines!"
Above the sky, several islands floated among the clouds.
A blond man with a ship's rudder lodged in his head scowled upon receiving the newspaper from his subordinates.
"Damn it, my invention was stolen!" he exclaimed, but before he could continue, a crew member patted him on the back of the head and shouted, "Captain, stop talking nonsense in your sleep!"
Shiki, despite being the subject of the news, remained unfazed by the interruption, staying in place and exclaiming:
"That's right, I thought I was dreaming," Shiki mused aloud. As he refocused on the news, his gaze grew sharper, and he erupted into a maniacal laugh.
"Prepare to set sail, my little ones!"
Snap!
Once again, a subordinate slapped the back of Shiki's head and shouted:
"Don't jump to conclusions, you fool!"
Amidst the global discourse on the Water 7 incident, the Al Pirates, the central figures of this saga, have arrived at the island housing the legendary treasure tree, Adam.
Gazing at the colossal tree at the heart of the island, Al wasted no time, promptly instructing Tom and the rest to begin constructing a boat.
Meanwhile, Al started tallying the EP he currently possessed.
System Page:
[Received 9999 EP from Kuzan]
[Received 99 EP from Sengoku]
[Received 99 EP from Garp]
[Received 999 EP from Momonga]
[Received 99 EP from Crocodile]
[Received ....]
Satisfied with the acquisition of the phantom's mood value, Al nodded in approval. With this significant increase, combined with the remaining EP, his total EP now stood at 1,079,467!
Without hesitation, Al opted to hang backstage and initiate an automatic lottery draw.
However, just as Al exited the system page and was about to delve back into contemplating the cultivation method of Armament Haki, a voice suddenly resounded in his mind.
[Oversized Bow and Arrow made by Tom: Can shoot any item as an arrow.]
After absorbing the details of this new acquisition, Al stood frozen in place, feeling a mixture of surprise and disappointment.
"Seriously? After all that buildup, this is what I get?" Al muttered incredulously. He had hoped for something more substantial from the system, but this unexpected and seemingly trivial ability left him questioning its intentions.
[Obtain a vacuum cleaner from Jackie Chan's Adventures, capable of absorbing magic energy, with a durability value of 2.]
Al's eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he read the prompt. "Magic energy?" he mused aloud. "What use could this possibly have in the Pirate World?" he wondered, puzzled by the seemingly incongruous item. "Is it supposed to be used for cleaning Tom's inventions?" he speculated, uncertain of its purpose.
Al's eyes widened as he quickly accessed the item introduction. As he read through it, his breath caught in his throat.
"Jackie Chan's Magic-Absorbing Vacuum Cleaner: Capable of absorbing the magic power of any object and extracting it perfectly!"
Magic? Al pondered. Wasn't the Devil Fruit hailed as the secret treasure of the sea because it's said to be the incarnation of the sea devil?
The realization hit Al like a bolt of lightning. Could this vacuum cleaner truly extract Devil Fruit abilities from their users?
His eyes sparkled with newfound determination. He had long desired to obtain some Devil Fruits, but elusive figures like Blackbeard had always stood in his way.
Without a moment's hesitation, Al retrieved the vacuum cleaner from his system backpack. Despite its appearance resembling a heap of scrap metal, he held it with reverence.
"Next stop: Fruit Snatching!!"
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